Pat O'Neill interview

In 1952 Jack O’Neill invented the wetsuit vest to pacify the cold waters of Santa Cruz, California. Over fifty years later I met up with his son, Pat O’Neill, CEO of O’Neill Wetsuits, the most revolutionary business in surfing. The following article is taken from a number of conversations in California last year; notably upon the family boat, and cruising in Pat’s Porsche.
Initially in the UK hardy, crazy folk braved our waters in the summer, but today wetsuits facilitate more than 500,000 surfers. Short boards were a revolution, but wetsuits provoked a global explosion firmly placing surfing on the map.


Initially Jack experimented with plastics he’d found during his time in the Army Air Corp, but when he discovered neoprene, lining the floor of a passenger plane, he knew he had something. Friends laughed, saying business would be short lived once all the local surfers owned a wetsuit. Jack however forged on, and within months set up the first ‘surf shop’. Pat explained Jack had the whole family involved from the beginning, ‘he placed us in a paddling pool filled with blocks of ice at a San Francisco boat fair, it was freezing.’ But as the family grew up, technology progressed, business boomed, and the wetsuit spread worldwide. Having been involved with ‘Team O’Neill’ for years, Pat flourished when he took over in 1985. Raised on ‘Beaver Tail wetsuits and purple feet,’ Pat himself is very low key, plus shy to mention he was one of the pioneers of leashes. His kind, jovial manner is endearing, but camouflages a dry intelligent wit.

For me the O’Neill name was as much part of Santa Cruz as the infamous Steamer lane, and the proud seals guarding its cliffs. With the early stores still operating, O’Neill clothing is worn with the pride of a football jersey. Whilst we watched the surf, countless surfers and locals approached Pat, all proud to shake his hand. It sounds corny, but I realised at this point that for Pat, ‘O’Neill’ is more than a family name or a business – surfing is his life.


Cruising down the Pacific highway we chatted about Bush, Blair, and business. To beat the traffic we detoured by Pat’s old neighbourhood, which triggered a nostalgic conversation. Pat’s old school reminded me of the ‘wonder years’ TV show, whilst he told me he went to the university of life. Family seemed key back then for the O’Neills’ as it is today. Early surf sessions, and the opening of the iconic 41st street store made me envious.


Today O’Neill wetsuits spend millions on R&D, keeping the surfing world warmer. So I asked Pat if there is anything left he wishes to achieve. ‘Home is Santa Cruz,’ he answers, ‘but a place in Maui and maybe one in Avalon would be nice wouldn’t it?’ From the glint in his eye I admire his modesty. Pulling into the marina Pat told me he’s confident Santa Cruz will launch a world champion in the next ten years. With such good pedigree, I’ve no doubt they will.

Sam Lamiroy firewire interview

Sam Lamiroy (UK Pro Tour Champ 07) is one of the household names in British surfing, with a top career stretching from a time when Kelly Slater had hair. Five months ago the surf ambassador approached Firewire Surfboards eager for a burn on their demo boards – instantly hooked, the Jordie wave master became the companies first European rider.


JM: What are the advantages of riding sandwich construction Firewires over traditional boards with a central stringer?

SL: Fundamentally it’s like adding extra zest. Unlike other epoxy boards, these perform similarly to traditional boards. They don’t feel too different, but you get better life, spring and acceleration.


JM: Do you feel the parabolic rails give you an edge in competition?

SL: In contests it’s about consistency not experimenting, and I felt really confident on the boards. I actually used my Firewire at the end of the BPSA tour (2007), waves like Thurso, Ireland and Cornwall.


JM: What are your thoughts on the current state of surfboards manufacture?
SL: The surfboard industry is not environmentally friendly. But seeing the Firewire factory was impressive. Epoxy gives of far less fumes, the boards are carbon neutral, with 1% of profits going to protect the planet. This is definitely a step in the right direction.


JM: In the long run do you think technology will replace custom shaped bespoke surfboards?
SL: It depends how far in the future you look. In 20 years I imagine everything will be online and computer shaped, possibly with some hand finishing. You’ll probably surf stock boards at a demo centre, then the shop assistant will type in your specifications, the next week your new board arrives.

Photo credit: Sharpy

Surfboards get funky

Fancy some NASA style technology in your board? This month I’ve been riding a Firewire, a surfboard that has the pros acting like its feeding time at the zoo. Firewire surfboards are one of the most successful concept companies to emerge in the wake of Clark Foam’s closure; boasting parabolic rails, and the use of advanced composites. The technology is actually spawned from collaboration between Nev Hyman and Dan Mann, two individuals renown for their craftsmanship. Essentially the boards have flex memory much like a snowboard, providing far more speed than traditional surfboards. At the start of the turn the balsa rails accommodate you, then rebound to the rocker line releasing the stored energy through the turn. Myles Hutchins from Firewire described it as a ‘twang like’ sensation, plus I’ll assure you I noticed a marked difference in speed above my standard 6’2”.


Whilst the boards are new to Europe they’ve been going for 18 months in the states, and have none other than Taj Burrows as their principal rider. I’m told Taj’s board that he won the 2007 Jeffery’s Pro upon was in fact the same Firewire he came second on the previous year – an impressive advert for composite durability.

In the water a few people have commented that my board is nothing more than a gimmick, but those who tried it ate their words. The technology is different, but firmly proven. The boards are constructed in two phases, firstly a blank is built, and then its hand finished. The boards don’t have the traditional wooden stringers down the centre, but instead have two balsa rails embracing the solid eps foam core. High density foam is then placed on the top and bottom in a sandwich construction, before the board is placed in a vacuum driven rocker bed. This process creates a board that is highly flexible with an impressive rate of return. Scientifically speaking the kinetic energy Firewires release puts them far ahead of other epoxy boards. Longboard models are available, although I’ve not yet tried one. However it’ll be intriguing to see how progressively Dan Mann has shaped them and how flexible they can go.
On the environment front, Firewires release 50 times less volatile organic compounds during their construction and lifecycle compared to standard Polyurethane boards. In light of this Firewire received the EuroSIMA environmental product of the year award when they launched.
Slats, Shane Dorian, Rob Machado, and Jordy Smith have all been pictured free surfing on Firewires, accordingly it seems that they really are the epoxy boards with a difference. For me Tuflites are too buoyant and put me on edge, Firewire however seem to blend the pros of technology with the familiarity of your favourite stick. Fast and furious a Firewire demo tour is heading to a beach near you in 2008, check http://www.firewiresurfboards.com/.

Hopefully the last crap photo - who am I kidding?

Thank you all for the jokes about the skanky photo of myself in the Plymouth herald today. The mug shot accompanies my final current affairs column for the paper (sad day), so for the sake of future generations lets hope all copies with such photographic devilry are torched beyond recognition.

Wind’s making a mess of the surf today; Sunday looks alright though with hardly any breeze, a decent swell, and maybe even a spot of sunshine. I’m off to shop for a New Years Eve costume – the theme is leisure wear or extreme chav depending where you’re from.

Buzz like Baz

The following is a seasonal ballad inspired by Baz Lurmann. So feel free to read in an American accent or even dance if it makes you happy. Merry Crimbo.
Boys and girls of the class of 2007, if there was only one piece of advice I could offer you for the future, safe sex would be it. The long term benefits of contraception have been widely proven by scientists where as the rest of my advice has no evidence more reliable than my own misadventures.

Do something that challenges you everyday, and don’t be scared to fail. Talk. Don’t mess with people’s lives, and likewise don’t put up with people who are thoughtless with yours. Joke. Don’t waste your time being competitive, sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind, but in the end your race is a one man mission. Remember your first gig, and forget your last exam - if you live for work get a hobby. Forgive. Keep your old photos, throw out credit card applications.
Don’t worry what people think about your image. Dream. Enjoy the crazy fashions of your teens; you won’t appreciate the freedom you have until it begins to slip away. Trust me, one day you’ll recall your GCSE days, and appreciate how much opportunity lay before you. You’re not as different as you imagine. Surf. Even if you never use a board, enjoy the power of the waves. Honour. Don’t worry over spilt milk, and avoid panicking about the future. But if you do, remember worrying is only as effective as trying to jump across the channel. The true difficulties in your life are likely to be ones that blindside you, like losing friends before their time, witnessing the terrors of war, and realising our greed sees millions starve whilst good food rots. Be aware. Spend time with your family and never take them for granted. Hollyoaks is not real. Be kind to your brothers and sisters, they’re your roots, and the people most likely to stand by you in the face of adversity. Run.

Don’t stress yourself hunting for love, it’ll find you when it’s ready. Remember relationships are based upon sacrifice and solidarity. Aspire. Be the best person you can, and eventually life will reward you. Mates will come and go, but hang on to the precious few you call true friends. Don’t compare cars, houses, or wives, and remember the older you get the more you need the people you care about. Respect. Live anywhere once, but leave before it makes you hard; enjoy your home town but don’t let it make you stale. Explore. See the world, but learn to accept we’ll probably never all be able to live together like decent human beings. Read.

Don’t feel bad because your job isn’t considered high flying; take pride in everything you do. Listen to advice, but take it with a pinch of salt. Beneath every pinstripe suit and each grubby overhaul is a person as fallible as the next guy. Teach. Remember petrol prices will rise, bubbles will burst, governments will mislead, privatisation will fail us, and we’ll all grow old. But when we do we’ll pretend that when we were young petrol was cheap, money could be made, governments were honest, and trains were on time. Respect the elderly.

Be your own person, forge the future. The possibilities are endless, but success rarely comes easily. Stretch. Maybe your partner will make dot com dollars, or scratch a million on the lottery, but you never know when you might stand alone - Work hard. Never give up, and take help where you can. Exercise. Keep your body healthy as you only have one shot. Never read gossip magazines, they only make you stupid.

Maybe be you support gay marriage, maybe you don’t, maybe you’ll have tea with the queen, or lounge on the beach at 85. Maybe you’ll adopt, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll run a drama group on Tuesdays, but ensure you leave a legacy. Care.

What ever you do, don’t big yourself up too much, or scare yourself either. Your choices owe fate a favour, and so do everyone else’s. Save a life. Respect the environment, and the oceans we treat with disregard; there is no going back. Recycle. Tell your lover you love them, and never leave your heart unspoken. Treat the system with caution, but be patient with the human cogs. Don’t watch too much reality TV. But most of all trust me on the condoms.

Plymouth's New Surfboard Factory

Plymouth’s New Surfboard Factory
As Plymouth’s only consistently producing surfboard shaper I’ve reported on Luke Young quite a bit over the years. When I started my column in 2003 Luke had set up a surfboard shaping bay at the back of Mutley Plain in Plymouth, then later on the brand moved over to Mountbatten. Now, after time away from the city fine tuning his shaping with some of the world’s top shapers, Luke has found his way back to Plymouth.
At 29 years old, Luke is one of Europe’s youngest professional surfboard shapers, plus he’s already managed to accrue an invaluable 13 years of experience. November saw the launch of his new factory, so naturally I headed down to check it out.
Luke has spent the past three years working with various surfboard manufacturers in the South West, and has also been fortunate to hone his skills with a number of internationally renowned shapers. Pat Rawson from Oahu, Hawaii, and Rob Vaughan of Billabong surfboards, were both key to the development of Luke’s shaping. Besides cutting it with top shapers, Luke’s broadened his board building skills. As well as spraying with Nick Williams who’s responsible for some of the finest graphics ever seen on a surfboard, Luke’s been laminating with renowned craftsman Phil Northey.
Tired of commuting to Kernow, Luke decided it was about time he built his own factory closer to home. Located at Battisford Farm his new setup is on the outskirts of Plympton, just off the A38 Devon Expressway (not far from the Lynham Inn). Having cased out the swanky new joint and given two thumbs up, I picked Luke’s brains on the state of English surfboard production.
For me the step between backyard board manufacture to fluid scientific design is big one, and I don’t think you’ll find anyone arguing that Luke hasn’t accomplished that transition with flare. Don’t get me wrong Luke’s always been a guy of high standards, but in the past he was just a good local shaper, so it’s nice now to see his boards cutting next to some of the most renowned craftsman in the industry.
Over the past eighteen months imported surfboards have taken over a large part of the learner market, whilst new age manufacture techniques have been crushing the little UK shapers from the other end of the spectrum. With depressing industry statistics in my minds eye, I was surprised to see Luke’s traditional style factory busier than ever. During our chat Luke discussed his work ethic, explaining that he thinks it’s ‘essential to be able to complete every aspect of surfboard manufacture to an extremely high standard’. Whilst he operates like this for peace of mind, I think it’s really promising for the future of British shaping, and the reason why Luke’s a growing presence in local stores. By keeping quality high, English shapers can earn the reputation of other respected trades men like carpenters. With time showing lots of imported boards to be of poor build quality (particularly those shipped from Asian conveyor belts), English workmanship could win the long race. It’s similar with cars, we all appreciate the effort Audi, BMW, and Mercedes put into their vehicles to make them drive better – why’s riding a surfboard any different?
From custom spray jobs upon mals to ultra smooth gloss polishes on retro boards, Luke builds boards for pros and novices alike. Plus if you fancy getting hands on, why not get Luke to show you how to shape - I built my own and learnt a lot doing it. You can find Luke’s boards in the Billabong Store, Plymouth and Wild Waters, Plympton. For further details contact Luke Young Shapes on 07789 663693, or log on tohttp://www.lukeyoungshapes.co.uk/.

Photo credit: Mike Meal photography

What a surfer wants!

What a surfer wants!
December is the time when mums start to read up on surfing in their desperate quest for gift ideas. Now we all know the likes of Indo boards, ding repair kits, and Miss Reef calendars are safe bets for young surfers at Crimbo, but what do you get the surf addict with everything. This week I’ve been window shopping to hunt out great gifts, but to make sure I was on the right track I caught up with Wild Waters boss lady Paula Barbour.
Respecting age and wisdom we’ll start with the gifts grandparents might like to buy. For big gifts always consult family members, as you’d be surprised by all the paraphernalia we young folk have stashed away. Branded socks and underwear can be pricy, but always go down a treat. The Plympton store has Animal three packs of socks for less than a tenner, and if you’re fancy a hunt, TKMax occasionally gets the odd surf bargains. Wallets, jewellery, and wetsuit apparel like gloves, are perfect to plump up the stockings. Following in the footsteps of Billabong tools, a novel gimmick available this year is Rip Curl dog tags (£7.50), which have internal wax combs and bottle openers. For the ultra lazy shopper (or less able wrappers) many wallets these days come in fancy looking display cases, and start at about £20 for brands like Ripcurl and O’Neill.
When shopping for the ladies, luggage is Paula’s top recommendation, with surprisingly funky day bags from £24. Whilst the missus informs me Ripcurl’s tartan jackets are the thing to have. For the more mature surfer, a ‘tide clock’ is a practical gift that looks stylish too, plus they’re pretty reasonable online. Surf art is another sensible idea for any sophisticated brothers in law. Chain Store Athena, sell lots of works by local company Ocean Publishing, but if you check out the smaller surf shops most have cheaper selections. If however you fancy parting with a bit more cash, for a penny short of a hundred quid you can get your hands on a ‘street surfer’. I tired one of these things out at a recent trade show; it was a real laugh and definitely makes you consider the lines you carve. The Wild Waters staff seemed pretty keen on these too, but although I’ve heard tales, I’ve still not seen a demo yet!
Obviously surfing is a complicated culture, and we live in an age obsessed with brand – with this in mind if you’re thrilled to discover a £10 wetsuit lurking in the corner of the local Harry Tate Store step back and consider your purchase carefully. If you have a relative who surfs through out the winter, their wetsuit will cost a minimum of £120 new, or it won’t be suitable for our waters. In short they’ll freeze. Wetsuit sizing is also important, and brands vary significantly, many surfers favour particular brands for a reason. I like O’Neill because the medium size is quite slim, where as I need a small with the wider Billabong suits. Similarly some surfers love built in hoods, and others are phobic about them. West Wetsuits offer some solid basic options with women’s winter suits starting from £135, and for little while longer Wild Waters can organise tailored sizing – handy if you’re struggling to find your size. If you’re buying some else a wetsuit this Xmas, please do some research, find out their dimensions, and always keep the receipt.
As its Christmas, lots of lucky individuals will be acquiring their first board, so what are things to watch out for? Learner boards vary dependant on rider’s size and weight, so shopping around for advice is the key to your success. It’s also sensible to have a lesson before you consider parting with your cash. Minimals are recommended by most instructors as they offer lots of volume, which means they’re buoyant and paddle well. At the same time minimals offer manoeuvrability, but best of all their typically nice and solid to take all the knocks. During my interview with Luke, I decided to quiz the knowledgeable board critic on buying for learners. We agreed, that looking around is the key, so don’t just buy a board off the rack of the first shop you go in. Talk to shop assistants, board shapers, and any surfers you know to build a picture of what is best for you; an appropriate board can make learning fun, rather than an uphill challenge.
Lastly as it’s the festive season it’s also a good idea to point out that there is lots of decent second hand boards out there, have a browse online, check out the classifieds, and maybe even invest in a yellow paper. Make sure you know what you want, avoid boards with heavy creases across them, and always check that the stickers aren’t hiding nasty holes.
It’s never been so easy to find surfing gifts, as Plymouth is bustling with surf apparel. Besides Wild Waters, other established stores to check out include Surfing Life, Quiksilver and Billabong, plus the new Gul shop has loads of clothes. Happy holidays – see you in 2008!

Photo Credit: Mike Meal Photography